Don’t be a douchebag at your Dojo

Don’t be a douchebag at your Dojo

We all love martial arts. It is multi-faceted and offers a variety of goals that we want to achieve and is a learning path for the whole life. In training, we always work to outdo ourselves and become better, in competition we compete with other athletes on the basis of our abilities and fair rules and martial arts also teaches us philosophical values ​​that can also be helpful in everyday life.

Nevertheless, training alone does not bring much and therefore we depend on training partners. Partners on whom we orient ourselves and with whom we can grow together. For although martial arts is an individual sport, it always maintains the virtue of commonality. There is little space for soloists and daredevils in the dojo or ring.

And yet we often meet such strange fellows, who stand out due to noncollegial behavior and strange airs. In this article, I would like to list some negative examples of how not to behave during training. And maybe one or the other can find a reflection of him or herself, which of course I do not hope.

Different types of strange behaviour during class

Hygiene: People, it’s not difficult and really does not take much time. Martial arts are usually practiced barefoot and it would be desirable if everyone cares for their feet. That means cut toenails and washed feet before training. Who likes to put his partner’s smelly foot on stretching exercises on his own shoulder? And who wants to be sliced by too long toenails?

Jewelry is beautiful and good … and anyone can shoot steel into their bodies, where they think it fits. But this must be taken off before training, if this can lead to injury risk for yourself and especially for others. If jewelry is difficult to remove, such as piercings, they can also be taped with tape.

The quitter. After exhausting exercises, a partner exercise is on and the partner tries to philosophize first about the technique, in order to get through the time and to rest. Dude … maybe your partner would like to train and learn the technique. Think of others and do not waste the time of training partners who want to learn.

The smart-arse. In addition to the trainer, there are often other experienced exercisers. Maybe these people even come from another martial arts. This is often not bad, because they can still add valuable experience during the training. But then please at the right time. Nothing shows less respect when you openly question the instructions of the trainer in front of everyone else. Many exercises often deal with the understanding of movement. Only then will the application and understanding be trained. Of course, no one attacks me on the street with a straight punch from a basic position, but with a vibrator. Of course, there are other and perhaps more efficient techniques. Just give newcomers and less experienced students time to get used to the theory. If you do not agree with the opinion or the methods of the trainer, you can ask him in private after a training session for a conversation in order to exchange his thoughts.

Hygiene No. 2: Sure, the training often takes place after work and many of us rush under time pressure to martial arts school. But if you do not have time to brush your teeth in the meantime, at least throw in some chewing gum. This takes the strong smelly breath that otherwise beats the partner right into the face during contact exercises such as clinching or wrestling.

Some training colleagues who have been around for a while avoid the partner exercise with newcomers. They either consider themselves better or do not want to „waste“ their training time with newbies. Training is a shared exchange of skills and everyone was once at the beginning. Help new training partners find their way through training and share your experience. You do not have to be BFF, but behave at least collegiate and not like the last ass.

Punching Pussy: I also often met such persons telling me at the beginning of an exercise „Please, don’t be too hard, I do not have a gumshield with me“ or „…I have not been there so long.“ In such case I just thought “All right, I will be careful…”. Hardly the okay comes from the coach and a brutal low kick almost breaks my knee or a fist flies right into my mouth. Other partners ruthlessly kick and punch during sparring and then complain when they got hit.

The germ carrier. All zeal in honor … but who is sick, should stay at home. Do not drag the cold to the dojo or the gym to infect everyone else.

The smart-arse No. 2: You have a training partner in front of you, who constantly corrects your moves and gives wise hints without a break. As soon as it is his turn on the exercise, he isn’t able to perform a proper move. The best case is when he is corrected by the trainer.

You have just been in training with the partner and 10 minutes after training, he fails to respond to a goodbye or a hello at the next workout.

These are just a few examples of how to misbehave with training partners and how to trample Dojo rules. The list is still long and maybe you have had some more experiences to share with us! I’m curious what or who has happened to you so far!